Spirituality at Bedlington Whitley Memorial C of E Primary School

Why is Spirituality Important?

The Church of England's Vision for Education states a core desire of 'life in all its fullness.' As a Church of England school, it is essential that we educate and develop our whole child and school community ensuring social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. 

We explore spirituality by providing opportunities to reflect. Spirituality enables everyone at Bedlington Whitley Memorial C of E Primary School to achieve, belong and thrive - allowing them to flourish. 

Developing Spirituality in Our School

Spirituality development is closely linked to our school vision and provides children with opportunities to reflect and think about:

• Themselves (Looking In) 
• Others (Looking Out)
• God, Jesus and the awe and wonder in the world (Looking Up)

Our school community encounter a wide range of opportunities to develop their spirituality throughout their time in school. These include, but are not limited to:

• Daily collective worship
• Reflection tasks linked to collective worship
• Leading daily prayers
• Collectively singing
• A weekly celebration worship 
• Celebrations in the school newsletter 
• Reflection areas in each classroom throuhout school to encourage children to quietly reflect and be spiritual throughout the day - exploring our school values 
• Educational visits or visitors to and from different places of worship 
• School rewards and recognition: post cards, Shine Awards, Headteacher Awards, housepoints 
• Displays around school which encourage reflection or explore different faiths and a range of diversity 
• Our behaviour policy allows for reflection on behaviour and allows children to learn that at times we do make mistakes but we always achieve forgiveness and can learn from these. 

Spirituality in Our Curriculum 

 Our ambitious curriculum ensures that children are exposed to a wide variety of spiritual experiences and deep meaningful questions. Children’s spiritual   development is shown by their:

• Beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and the decisions they make
• The respect they show for different people’s diversity, values and feelings
• Sense of enjoyment and wonder in learning about themselves, others and the world around them
• Use of imagination and creativity in their learning
• Confidence to reflect on their experiences

Impact of Spirituality

Through daily, inclusive collective worship rooted in our Christian vision and values, pupils and adults are given regular opportunities to pause, reflect and grow spiritually. Children learn to look in at themselves, out towards others with compassion, and up with a sense of awe and wonder. This supports them in developing a sense of meaning, moral understanding and respect for others. As a result, pupils grow in confidence to reflect on their feelings and choices, show empathy in their relationships and recognise how their actions can make a positive difference in the school community and beyond.